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Last season Aaron Judge bet on himself, turning down a $213.5 million offer from the New York Yankees.
The gamble paid off as the 30-year-old slugger agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal with the team, according to multiple reports.
- Judge hit an American League record 62 home runs and won the AL MVP award in 2022.
- The Yankees increased their offer by about 70% in less than a year.
Besides the San Francisco Giants, the Yankees reportedly had to fend off a last-minute bid from the San Diego Padres.
Judge’s yearly salary of $40 million shatters the MLB record for the highest average annual contract value for a position player, previously held by Mike Trout’s $35.5 million.
MLB’s Weight Problem
Prior to the 2022 All-Star Game, commissioner Rob Manfred admitted that the league had used two baseballs the previous year — one reportedly with a center weight roughly two-and-a-half grams lighter than the other that would carry further.
According to a new report, MLB may have used three different balls last season, and the more batter-friendly balls were found to be used at key games and events.
- Postseason and World Series games
- The All-Star Game and Home Run Derby
- Regular-season games with special commemorative stamps on the outer leather
Two of the “juiced” balls were also obtained from a Yankees-Tigers game on June 5 — which raises the question: Could the ball have impacted Judge’s home run chase?
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